A Different Shape
by Cyberchao X
Summary: Bella may not have gone to Dartmouth as a human, but now Renesmee is off to the Ivy League school, Jacob of course in tow. They'll find that things aren't THAT different from in Washington...Lots of OCs, might be able to be K but rated T just to be safe.
1. A Chance Encounter

Disclaimer: Jacob and Renesmee belong to Stephenie Meyer; more of her characters may join this disclaimer if they end up making an appearance. The northeastern pride is all mine, though. In fact, I'm even using my own first name and the names of my friends, with only last names changed. Now, if I only had more friends…

A Different Shape

Preface—A Chance Encounter

Chad's POV

I sensed that the pride were unnerved by this overwhelming scent that had arrived. _Relax_, I told them, _it's just a wolf. No need to turn tail like little pussycats._

_That cannot be just one wolf,_ one of the others said. Tom, I thought.

_We stand our ground. If need be, we fight._

_I'm going to have to overrule you on that one._ Jamie, the Alpha. He had appointed me his Beta because of my tactical abilities, but I was by no means a leader, and I deferred. As the wolf came closer, I saw why I'd been overruled. That thing was _huge!_ Lest you take that for granted, take a good look at me, and at the claws and teeth that could rip you apart. We're kind of large for our "species", too. We ran off, but as we did, I couldn't help but think that there was another, even _stranger_ scent…

* * *

CCX: Hi. Yeah, I'm not really sure how this is going to work out...I'm going to give this a shot. I'm really insecure about this type of thing. Read and review if you want to boost my confidence! ...Wait, did I just pull the old "reviews will make me write faster" trick? Damnit, I _hate_ when people do that! Still not even sure what to rate this, either...I usually go high just to be safe, so we'll put "T" even though I might be able to get away with K+.


	2. Out of Washington

Disclaimer: Jacob and Renesmee belong to Stephenie Meyer; more of her characters may join this disclaimer if they end up making an appearance. The northeastern pride is all mine, though.

A/N: There may be brief appearances by other characters in this chapter, but mostly it's just going to be Jake, Renesmee, and the OCs.

A Different Shape

Chapter 1—Out of Washington

Renesmee's POV

"Jacob Wolfe" sighed dejectedly. "Why do we have to do things this way the first time around?"

"Because I'm still young—'growing', possibly—and the IDs are already there, updated for my increased age."

"Yes, but I can't pull off late thirties."

"Sure you can, Jake. We'll just say that you keep in good shape."

He sighed again. "Whatever you say, Nessie."

I put my hand to his head, showing him thoughts of our life as "father and daughter" out in New Hampshire the next four years. Mom had explained to me about the imprinting process, so I knew that Jake wanted something more out of me at some point soon…but at the same time, I also knew that if I wanted nothing more than for him to remain a father figure towards me, he would do so. Wait…he had never been a "father" to me, had he? More like an older brother…I showed him this. "Brother and sister? Bella _did_ explain the whole imprinting thing, right? Propagation of the species?"

"Yes, I know. One day, we will have quarter-vampire spirit-wolf babies," I said, trying to make him laugh.

"I'm serious, Nessie, I don't know how much longer I can wait. You grow more beautiful every day."

"If you say so. Your continued use of that monstrous old nickname"—a reference to my mother's initial distaste for the name the rest of my family had given me as a baby—"indicates that you still see me as a child."

He groaned. "Sorry, Ness." (A/N: From a sea monster to a video game character. We can't win with this name, can we?)

"Apology accepted." I smiled, and he practically melted. This imprinting thing has its advantages.

"Why do we have to move all the way across the country, anyway?"

"Well, for one thing, I've grown up much too quickly to be seen about in this place."

"No one ever _did_ see you, remember? For exactly that reason."

"Also, Dartmouth had some significance for my parents. Since Mom never did get to go, she—okay, _Dad_—wanted me to go. New Hampshire will be nice, I promise."

"As long as you're there, that's where I'm going. You know that."

"You can't come to classes with me, you know. And people will look at me funny if I'm always rushing straight home afterwards." He groaned again. "Don't be sad," I said, stroking his face, "I'll make plenty of time for you, too." I had always wondered what would happen if the object of a spirit wolf's imprinting didn't accept this preordained destiny of theirs. No mystical force was compelling the other person to return the unconditional love—and in modern society, that type of persistence could result in a restraining order. I knew one thing, though—I wasn't going to be the one to test that theory. Jacob's been a part of my life since the very beginning, and I couldn't imagine life without him, either.

* * *

Jacob's POV

We arrived at our home in New Hampshire, and it proved to be sufficiently wooded. Perfect for a werewolf and a half-vampire, both of whom need to hunt occasionally. Okay, I only hunt for recreational purposes, but my Nessie—er, _Ness_—can only order so many steaks "extra-rare" before she starts getting looked at funny—and starts going through withdrawal symptoms. That usually results in her sinking her little fangs into _my_ neck. I heal quickly enough, but I'm human enough that her eyes start to take on a reddish tint if she feeds on me too often, albeit nothing as dramatic as the true vampires. I like the gold flecks better, though, and it's healthier for us both. If it's just animals she's eating, I can almost forget about the fact that she's, well, half-leech. Time to take a tour of the woods…I turned into a wolf, and Renesmee got on my back. Time to go for a run.

An image entered my head of an unseemly number of wild animals. Ness's doing. Unfortunately, these were not animals whose scents she was familiar with, so nothing definitive came out. I growled, concentrating on the scent. Something…feline. Bobcat? No, far too much of the scent. Mountain lion? There would have to be a lot, though, and large ones…yes, large ones… Renesmee put a clearer image into my head. This one was not of wild animals, but of wolves like me…a lot like me…not any of the other Quileutes, but undoubtedly spirit wolves nonetheless. Six of them.

The cougars seemed to be running off. We returned to the house. Why did Ness show me six spirit wolves?


	3. The First Year

Disclaimer: Jacob and Renesmee belong to Stephenie Meyer; more of her characters may join this disclaimer if they end up making an appearance. The northeastern pride is all mine, though.

A Different Shape

Chapter 2—The First-Year

Dani's POV

Classes were starting. "It seems like everywhere I go, there's at least one of you," I told Chad. He didn't respond. "Okay, something's definitely wrong. You've been really out of it lately."

"Didn't Andy tell you about the wolf?"

"Yeah, but none of the others is like this, which makes me think that something has happened since the last patrol."

"Nope, nothing."

"So then Andy _was_ leaving something out. I kept pestering him, almost sure that I hadn't gotten the full story, but he swore…"

"They wouldn't know. At best, they'd know that _something_ else was there, or at least that I thought that something else was there."

"You mean like the 'something else' with you guys?"

"No, although I haven't ruled out the possibility that the wolf _is_ something like us…" Then he trailed off. I sighed. These guys were so hard to deal with.

Perhaps I should explain why a normal girl like me is privy to such secrets in the first place. It all started when I ran into a former boyfriend, Andrew Cohen, and it was like he was a different person towards me. Like suddenly I was all that mattered. The rest of the pride found it hilarious that Andy had already dated—and broken up with—the object of his imprinting before the changes occurred. Anyway, here I am, "den-mother" to six mountain lions. I think I like them better in animal form; they don't talk that way. Not that Chad here talks much anyway…

"Hey, don't think I've seen you here before. You a first year?"

Okay, that's not like him. "Yeah. You're not?"

"Sophomore. Chad Hansen, nice to meet you."

"Vanessa Wolfe; you can call me Ness."

"What a beautiful name." He seemed to be sniffing at something. "That's, uh, an interesting perfume you're wearing. What is it?"

"I'm…not wearing any perfume."

"Oh. Well, then, you have an interesting scent. Different. I like it."

"Typical Chad. Well, at least he's trying."

"Oh, hey Andy, when did you get here?" I asked.

"Just now. Hey, Chad, isn't she a bit young for you?" he called out, and Chad turned red. He couldn't answer, though, because the professor arrived and class began.

* * *

CCX: I'm still trying to figure out exactly what this class should be. I can't really see a vampire, or even a half-vampire, _willingly_ enrolling in a biology course unless necessary (in _Twilight_, they're in high school, where it's a mandatory part of the overall curriculum), but I'd like it to be something where there's a chance that a person could draw blood if they're careless. The only thing I can think of would be an art class, though. I'm highly open to reader suggestions.

* * *

Andy's POV

Class had ended, and the pride was all together. "I think our Beta may have imprinted this morning," I teased.

"It wasn't an imprint," he replied, "She just…interested me, that's all."

"Then what was that comment about her scent?" I turned to the others and explained, "He commented on her perfume, and she said she wasn't wearing any. Sounds like he was just making up a compliment on the spot."

"I said it was 'interesting'. I don't know if you were paying attention after our encounter with the wolf, but I thought I smelled something else with that thing. Something…human, and yet, not human. I still don't know what it was, and although it was hard to pick it up with the overpowering wolf scent, I _think_ I got that same scent from this girl."

"So, who is she?" Chris asked. "Is she cute?"

Chad smiled. "Yeah, I suppose. More 'pretty' than 'cute'. She's a first-year, and her name is Vanessa _Wolfe_."

"Wolfe? Seriously?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah, that would be a bit weird. Unless that's just a fake name. But I don't think _she's_ the wolf…our puma forms resemble our human forms to a certain degree, and there wasn't any resemblance here."

"Maybe it works differently for wolves," Zac suggested.

"Maybe. But…I told you I thought something else had been with that thing. And I think it's more likely that _that_ was her."

"You sound like you're formulating a plan. That could be dangerous, Chad," Jamie warned.

"Well, supernatural or not, I don't have to imprint on a girl to like her. And I definitely want to get to know this 'Ness' girl a bit better…regardless of what she is."

* * *

CCX: Astute readers who read the prologue and chapter 1 when they first went up may have noticed a change in the pride's numbers. I had been thinking, trying to remember how I'd reached seven in the first place, and then I realized that in basing the pride on myself and my friends, I'd ended up putting in one friend who didn't seem to fit in with the others, or with the setting for that matter. (Actually, a few of the ones who are staying don't fit in with the setting, either, but that's irrelevant.) In doing so, I was afraid that it would seem a little bit _too_ much about the me-character, although I'm afraid it very well could be. (Don't worry, though, Renesmee will still remain with Jacob.) The number has been changed, and I hadn't used that name yet, anyway--and that said, I've now given the names of all six cougars. Enjoy!


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